I looked back over my reads from the first half of 2016 for this week's Top Ten Tuesday list and it turns out that I've had a pretty good bookish year so far! That's a relief, because it started off terribly with a slew of mediocre and disappointing books. But now, mid-June, I've read 7 five-star books, which is exciting considering I only read 11 five-star books in 2015 and two of those were Harry Potter audiobooks (and those shouldn't really count, because they're re-reads and of course they're going to be five stars!).
Below are my favorite reads from the last six months. What are the best books you've read so far this year?
* 5 Star Favorites *
"Uprooted" by Naomi Novik
This is my favorite book of the year so far; it's a delightful standalone fantasy novel that I just could not put down. I highly recommend it!
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"Letters to the Lost" by Iona Grey
"Letters to the Lost" was a brilliant dual narrative that takes place during WWII and present-day. As you probably guessed from the title, it's partly told in letters, one of my favorite things!
This is my favorite book of the year so far; it's a delightful standalone fantasy novel that I just could not put down. I highly recommend it!
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"Letters to the Lost" by Iona Grey
"Letters to the Lost" was a brilliant dual narrative that takes place during WWII and present-day. As you probably guessed from the title, it's partly told in letters, one of my favorite things!
"Furiously Happy" by Jenny Lawson
review
The first memoir on my list is a both hilarious and serious look at mental illness. I read and loved The Bloggess' first memoir, "Let's Pretend This Never Happened" (sooooo funny!), and her second book did not disappoint.
review
The first memoir on my list is a both hilarious and serious look at mental illness. I read and loved The Bloggess' first memoir, "Let's Pretend This Never Happened" (sooooo funny!), and her second book did not disappoint.
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"Jane Steele" by Lyndsay Faye
review
I found this "Jane Eyre" re-telling to be unique and utterly addicting! I love Jane re-imagined as a badass heroine!
review
I found this "Jane Eyre" re-telling to be unique and utterly addicting! I love Jane re-imagined as a badass heroine!
"The Wolf Road" by Beth Lewis
review
I just finished this book the other day but I'm sure it'll be on my best books of the year list. It's set in a post-apocalyptic future and is told by 17-year-old Elka, a wild child raised in a hut in the woods by a man she just found out is likely a serial killer.
review
I just finished this book the other day but I'm sure it'll be on my best books of the year list. It's set in a post-apocalyptic future and is told by 17-year-old Elka, a wild child raised in a hut in the woods by a man she just found out is likely a serial killer.
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"The Atomic Weight of Love" by Elizabeth J. Church
review
I'm not usually a huge fan of character-driven novels, but this one is done right. It's a historical fiction tale centered on Meridian, a bright ornithology student who follows her scientist husband to rugged and rural Los Alamos, New Mexico, when he's asked to work on the Manhattan Project.
review
I'm not usually a huge fan of character-driven novels, but this one is done right. It's a historical fiction tale centered on Meridian, a bright ornithology student who follows her scientist husband to rugged and rural Los Alamos, New Mexico, when he's asked to work on the Manhattan Project.
* 4.5 Star Great Reads *
"A Gathering of Shadows" by V.E. Schwab
I don't typically review sequels (too hard to avoid spoilers!), but you can see my review of the first book in this fantasy series, "A Darker Shade of Magic," here. I enjoyed "A Gathering of Shadows" even more than the first installment. Such fun books!
I don't typically review sequels (too hard to avoid spoilers!), but you can see my review of the first book in this fantasy series, "A Darker Shade of Magic," here. I enjoyed "A Gathering of Shadows" even more than the first installment. Such fun books!
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"June" by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore
review
"June" is a perfect summer read -- and not only because it takes place in both June 1955 and June 2015. It's a gripping novel of long-kept secrets and glamorous Hollywood stars and a dilapidated old mansion in small-town Ohio, perfect for reading in a hammock or at the beach. Plus, I guarantee you'll fall in love with the narrators!
review
"June" is a perfect summer read -- and not only because it takes place in both June 1955 and June 2015. It's a gripping novel of long-kept secrets and glamorous Hollywood stars and a dilapidated old mansion in small-town Ohio, perfect for reading in a hammock or at the beach. Plus, I guarantee you'll fall in love with the narrators!
"The Alaskan Laundry" by Brendan Jones
review
Another character-driven novel -- what's happening to me?! I picked this one up because I love reading about Alaska, but the captivating main character -- who works her way up from fish hatchery to Being Sea crab boat while running from her difficult past -- held my attention.
review
Another character-driven novel -- what's happening to me?! I picked this one up because I love reading about Alaska, but the captivating main character -- who works her way up from fish hatchery to Being Sea crab boat while running from her difficult past -- held my attention.
* 4 Star Honorable Mentions *
"Lily and the Octopus" by Steven Rowley
review
What a sweet, charming, heartbreaking story. It's a must for any dog-lover!
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review
What a sweet, charming, heartbreaking story. It's a must for any dog-lover!
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"You" by Caroline Kepnes
review
Oh my gosh, talk about creepy! A sign of a good book is that it stays with you, and even though I read this months ago I have no trouble recalling the plot and all the insane happenings. -- and how Caroline Kepnes sorta, kinda got me to like a sociopath stalker! I'm hoping to get to the sequel later this year.
review
Oh my gosh, talk about creepy! A sign of a good book is that it stays with you, and even though I read this months ago I have no trouble recalling the plot and all the insane happenings. -- and how Caroline Kepnes sorta, kinda got me to like a sociopath stalker! I'm hoping to get to the sequel later this year.
"Poor Your Soul" by Mira Ptacin
review
This book was a heartbreaking and touching and raw memoir about family, making an impossible choice, and moving on. What do you do when you find out your baby won't be able to live outside your womb? And how do you survive the grief that comes after?
review
This book was a heartbreaking and touching and raw memoir about family, making an impossible choice, and moving on. What do you do when you find out your baby won't be able to live outside your womb? And how do you survive the grief that comes after?
I want to read Uprooted so much but only got through about 30 pages in before I stopped. Really need to get back to that :)
ReplyDeleteSya @ Bookish Sya
MY TTT
Really? I simply could not put it down. It's a decent-length book and I plowed through it in two days! I hope you enjoy it if you pick it up again! :)
DeleteI just got Uprooted yesterday in a shipment from Amazon and you might be a bad influence because Lily and the Octopus was in that shipment as well. I am glad to see you like June because I got a copy of it for review about 3 weeks ago. Glad you've had so many wonderful reads so far.
ReplyDeleteYay! I really hope you like all three of those books. I'm sure you'll enjoy "Lily and the Octopus" -- it perfectly describes the joys and sorrows of having dogs in our lives.
DeleteI'm excited to read June. It sounds like it will be perfect to read while watching my kids play in the sandbox or pool!
ReplyDeleteYes! The whole time I was reading it, I was thinking, "This is a perfect summer book!" Easy to read, addicting, and set in summertime!
DeleteJune was one of my runners-up. :-) I love your list! So many books I want to read . . . I'm glad to see them make your list. I was just thinking I should listen to Jenny Lawson's latest. Uprooted and Jane Steele are on my must read list, and You sounds interesting. Lily and the Octopus is the only one I'm not sure about because of how it ends.
ReplyDelete"Jane Steele" and "Uprooted" were both so good! It's funny, I went into both of them not really knowing what to expect and ended up loving them. I think you should check out "Lily and the Octopus." There's no shame in skimming through the tough part -- I always do when reading dog books like that. "You" was absolutely gripping and completely terrifying, and also oddly entertaining at the same time. I'm hoping to read "Hidden Bodies" this year and find out what our lovely sociopath is up to now.
DeleteJune is on a few lists! I have it on the stacks and hope to get to it soon. Also looking forward to Lily and the Octopus.
ReplyDeleteThey were both really good, though in completely different ways. Read "June" when you want a page-turner and read "Lily and the Octopus" when you want something more quiet and charming.
DeleteI can't wait to read Furiously Happy and The Atomic Weight of Love.
ReplyDeleteThe cover of Alaskan Laundry is beautiful.
"Furiously Happy" was so good! Have you read Jenny Lawson's first book, "Let's Pretend This Never Happened"? If not, you definitely should -- it's completely hilarious!
DeleteI loved Furiously Happy and You! I really want to read a Darker Shade of Magic (and sequel) . Lily and the Octopus caught my attention and I love dogs :)
ReplyDeleteI think you'll enjoy the Shades of Magic series! It's such fun, readable fantasy. I had never even heard of V.E./Victoria Schwab before the first book came out, and now I plan to work my way through everything she's written!
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